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Japan Soccer League facts for kids

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Japan Soccer League
Founded 1965
Folded 1992
Country Japan
Most championships Toyo Industries, Yomiuri (5)

The Japan Soccer League (JSL) was once the top football (soccer) league in Japan. It was an amateur league, meaning players usually weren't paid to play. The JSL started in 1965 and ran until 1992. It was replaced by the J.League, which is a professional league.

History of Japan's Top Football League

The Japan Soccer League was very important for football in Japan. It helped grow the sport across the country. Before the JSL, football was mostly played by school teams or company teams. The JSL brought together the best teams to compete for a national title.

How the JSL Worked

The JSL had two main divisions: Division 1 and Division 2.

  • Division 1 was for the best teams.
  • Division 2 was for teams trying to get promoted to Division 1.

Teams would play each other throughout the season. The team with the most points at the end of the season became the champion. Teams could move between divisions based on how well they played. This system helped keep the competition exciting.

Key Teams and Their Success

Over the years, many teams became famous in the JSL. Some of the most successful clubs were Toyo Industries and Yomiuri. Each of these teams won the Division 1 title five times. Other strong teams included Mitsubishi Motors and Yanmar Diesel. These teams helped make the JSL popular and exciting for fans.

Japan Soccer League Champions

Here are the champions of the Japan Soccer League's top divisions.

Division 1 Champions

Season Champions Runner-up Third place
1965 Toyo Industries Yawata Steel Furukawa Electric
1966 Toyo Industries Yawata Steel Furukawa Electric
1967 Toyo Industries Furukawa Electric Mitsubishi Motors
1968 Toyo Industries Yanmar Diesel Mitsubishi Motors
1969 Mitsubishi Motors Toyo Industries Yawata Steel
1970 Toyo Industries Mitsubishi Motors Hitachi
1971 Yanmar Diesel Mitsubishi Motors Nippon Steel
1972 Hitachi Yanmar Diesel Toyo Industries
1973 Mitsubishi Motors Hitachi Yanmar Diesel
1974 Yanmar Diesel Mitsubishi Motors Hitachi
1975 Yanmar Diesel Mitsubishi Motors Hitachi
1976 Furukawa Electric Mitsubishi Motors Fujita Industries
1977 Fujita Industries Mitsubishi Motors Hitachi
1978 Mitsubishi Motors Yanmar Diesel Fujita Industries
1979 Fujita Industries Yomiuri Hitachi
1980 Yanmar Diesel Fujita Industries Furukawa Electric
1981 Fujita Industries Yomiuri Mitsubishi Motors
1982 Mitsubishi Motors Hitachi Yanmar Diesel
1983 Yomiuri Nissan Motors Fujita Industries
1984 Yomiuri Nissan Motors Yamaha Motors
1985/86 Furukawa Electric Nippon Kokan Honda
1986/87 Yomiuri Nippon Kokan Mitsubishi Motors
1987/88 Yamaha Motors Nippon Kokan Mitsubishi Motors
1988/89 Nissan Motors All Nippon Airways Yamaha Motors
1989/90 Nissan Motors Yomiuri All Nippon Airways
1990/91 Yomiuri Nissan Motors Honda
1991/92 Yomiuri Nissan Motors Yamaha Motors

Division 2 Champions

Season Champions Runner-up Third place
1972 Toyota Motors Tanabe Pharmaceuticals Kofu
1973 Eidai Industries Kofu Yomiuri
1974 Yomiuri Fujitsu Kyoto Shiko
1975 Tanabe Pharmaceuticals Yomiuri Fujitsu
1976 Fujitsu Yomiuri Tanabe Pharmaceuticals
1977 Yomiuri Nissan Motors Sumitomo Metals
1978 Honda Nissan Motors Kofu
1979 Toshiba Horikawa Yamaha Motors Fujitsu
1980 Honda Fujitsu Toshiba
1981 Nippon Kokan Nissan Motors Toshiba
1982 Yamaha Motors Toshiba Sumitomo Metals
1983 Nippon Kokan Sumitomo Metals Toshiba
1984 Sumitomo Metals All Nippon Airways Matsushita Electric
1985/86 Matsushita Electric Mazda Toshiba
1986/87 Sumitomo Metals Toyota Motors Tanabe Pharmaceuticals
1987/88 All Nippon Airways Matsushita Electric Toshiba
1988/89 Toshiba Hitachi Tanabe Pharmaceuticals
1989/90 Mitsubishi Motors Toyota Motors Mazda
1990/91 Hitachi Mazda Fujita
1991/92 Fujita Sumitomo Metals Yanmar Diesel

The End of the JSL and New Beginnings

The Japan Soccer League ended in 1992. This was because Japan wanted to create a fully professional football league. This new league, called the J.League, started in 1993. Many of the teams from the JSL joined the J.League. The JSL played a big part in preparing Japanese football for this professional era. It helped build the foundation for the popular sport we see in Japan today.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Japan Soccer League para niños

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